submersible

vessel

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July 23, 2026

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A submersible is a vessel designed to operate underwater. The concept of a submersible dates back to 1578 with William Bourne's proposal for an enclosed, rowed boat. However, Dutch inventor Cornelis Drebbel is credited with building the first submarine around 1620, successfully maneuvering it in the Thames River.123

Early submersibles were often hand-powered and used various methods for submerging and surfacing, such as contracting sides or using ballast bags. The first recorded use of a submarine in warfare was during the American Revolution with David Bushnell's Turtle. Later, during the American Civil War, the Confederacy experimented with submarines like the H.L. Hunley. Today, submersibles are used for various purposes, including deep-sea research.231

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hydrologic sciences
Remote sensing of the oceans
…on special surface vessels and submersibles for direct measurements. It can be very costly to operate either type of vessel on long deep-sea expeditions. Moreover, observations from such craft can provide only a partial picture of oceanic phenomena and processes in terms of both space and time. Consequently, there has…
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…on special surface vessels and submersibles for direct measurements. It can be very costly to operate either type of vessel on long deep-sea expeditions. Moreover, observations from such craft can provide only a partial picture of oceanic phenomena and processes in terms of both space and time. Consequently, there has…
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Robert Ballard
…whose pioneering use of deep-diving submersibles laid the foundations for deep-sea archaeology. He is best known for discovering the wreck of the Titanic in 1985.
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…whose pioneering use of deep-diving submersibles laid the foundations for deep-sea archaeology. He is best known for discovering the wreck of the Titanic in 1985.
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